A Chiasm is when a passage of Scripture that mirrors itself pointing to it purpose found at the center.
In this study we will look at five points coming from two directions concluding at the center where X marks the spot. The central point in this study is the main meaning of the passage.
Point A. (To work the ground)
- A. God places man in the garden to WORK and GUARD IT (To work it)
Gensis 2:15 And Jehovah God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. (MKJV)
- A. God sends or puts him out of the Garden to work the land
Gensis 3:23 therefore Jehovah God sent him out from the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he had been taken. (MKJV)
Point one of the story starts and ends with man working the ground
Point B. (Eat from the Trees)
Gensis 2:17 but you shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. (MKJV)
- (B) Man eats from the tree of knowledge of good and evil
Gensis 3:22 And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever, (MKJV)
(B) Man is not to eat of the tree of life
Point 2 starts with man eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and ends with man being forbidden to eat from the tree of life but this leaves us with a question, “What is wrong with eating from the Tree of Life
God had passed judgment on sin so we can see if man had eaten of the Tree of Life he would never have to face any of his own actions. Finally, he would have no need of God.
Point C. Adam names his wife
Gensis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of man. Gensis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh. Gensis 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife; and they were not ashamed. (MKJV)
(C ) Adam names his wife Woman.
They were naked and felt no shame
Gensis 3:20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Gen 3:21 And for Adam and his wife Jehovah God made coats of skins, and clothed them. (MKJV)
(C ) Adam name his wife EVE and now they felt shame and needed God to cover them
Point D. Conversations
Gensis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Gensis 3:7 And the eyes of both of them were opened. And they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made girdles for themselves. Gensis 3:8 And they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God in the middle of the trees of the garden. (MKJV)
(D ) Conversation between the snake and Eve
Conversation of deception starts with the snake. The snake talks to Eve and Eve talks Adam and gives him the fruit. Eve took the fruit to her partner Adam and showed it to him saying, “It is beautiful, good for food and good for gaining knowledge”. These desires don’t look wrong when taken out of this context. However, it was against God’s command. The serpent knew if he could get Adam and Eve to take their eyes off God and think of their own desires, he was in with a good chance.
Even though her husband had told her not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, she fell into another area and that was of manipulation of her partner. This was an act of her free will. She could have eaten by herself, but she wanted a partner in her disobedience. She knew that Adam was her partner in the Garden and, if she ate the fruit by herself, the outcome of her disobedience would have a consequence, which she didn’t want to face on her own.
Now we have Adam who came on the scene, having been told not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil by God Himself. This point in time has always been one of great meditation by me. Here Eve was telling him how great the fruit was, and she ate it and gave it to him and he ate. As we know, Adam has a free will, but he doesn’t say, “No, no, God has told us not to eat it,” But he made the decision to eat. It appears he made the decision more quickly than his wife. No discussion, just straight in.
(D ) Conversation between God and Adam
Gensis 3:9 And Jehovah God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? Gensis 3:10 And he said, I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I am naked, and I hid myself. Gensis 3:11 And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded you that you should not eat? (MKJV)
Adam demonstrated his change of position or his new defiled spirit (a sinful nature). What is hidden will be uncovered. Adam said four things to God and God asked two questions, even though God knew the answer He was waiting for something and Adam still didn’t give it to Him.
- Firstly I heard you in the Garden
- Secondly I was afraid because I was naked; Accusations were to follow
- Thirdly The woman you put here with me he pointed the finger at God.
- Fourthly She gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
Now Adam was pointing at Eve. Eve was pointing at the Devil
Still they were in God’s presence, so what was God waiting for?
Genesis 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate. (MKJV)
Now God moves His attention towards Eve and she points the finger at the serpent, “He deceived me and I ate.”
Genesis 3:13 And Jehovah God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate. (MKJV)
Finally, we have Adam and Eve in a state of DENIAL. They wouldn’t say that they had weakened. What was God waiting for? He so much wanted for man to stay in the Garden to be in fellowship with Him.
When man sinned he lost his spiritual dynamic of direct communication with God and now the consequence of this is that all the descendants are spiritually inert or dead without spiritual inspiration. The veil of sin had been put between us and God. Adam had died or been defiled in the spirit reducing him to a defiled triune being, thus being defiled in the spirit bowing to the desires of the body and soul. “But” this does not mean that man has no conscience, but that his conscience is not impacted by the Holy Spirit as it is in the believer. By way of example; we could take some elements like a clear glass of water at room temperature and we can see though it, but if we drop another element in like some ink into the water it becomes cloudy and less transparent. The sin in man is like the ink clouding his thinking.
Point E. Eyes were opened X marks the spot
The central issue in this scenario is their Eyes were opened
Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of both of them were opened. And they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made girdles for themselves. Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God in the middle of the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:9 And Jehovah God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? (MKJV)
(E ) Their eyes were opened and they hid from God ashamed and resisted taking responsibility for their actions. How can you hide from a omnipresent God?
God was waiting for a repentant heart from Adam, but it didn’t come because of their lack of responsibility for their actions. Through the entry of sin, plus the lack of repentance, we now have the fallen state of man, who would pass on the teaching and the spiritual sickness of sin to his offspring and a spirit that is dead to things of God.
Because of this new feeling of nakedness they tried to hide from God. However, God being God knew where they were but He still asked the question, “Where are you?”
At this point they had:
- Eaten the fruit and the eyes of their understanding were open.
- Succumbed to temptation.
- Began building their self-justification.
- Started fulfilling their desires.
- Given way to manipulation.
- Committed acts of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (MKJV)
Still God was looking for them and calling to them and finally He walked with them.
They were now in a fallen state. Adam and Eve knew that they had done wrong, and they knew of what they had to do to make things right, but still they chose to deny their action and not to take responsibility. Their hearts were hardened by their action, and they didn’t want to lose face.
Repentance is stronger than sin.
Repentance opens the door of restoration with God.
Repentance brings about the transformation of the New Creation in Christ.
Repentance brings about justification, the new legal position.
Repentance starts the process of regeneration, in our literal state.
The act of repentance by man and acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Saviour, we have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life. Our spirit can now eat of the Tree of Life in the form of Jesus and we can live forever. It is only a matter of time before our mind and body will follow.
Repentance is the only way to the Tree of Life once a person has seen the depth of his or her own sin.
(E ) X marks the spot
The central point in this scenario and the whole purpose of this encounter with God was “Their Eyes were opened and they felt shame”.
They resisted taking responsibility for their actions and they were trying to hide from an omnipresent God?
Traillblazer Ministries Australasia 